An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World.
This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

WHAT THE DEATH OF NET NEUTRALITY MAY MEAN FOR THE CARIBBEAN

By Gilbert Morris:

The
Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will begin a rollback of net
neutrality; which is likely to lead to a two tier internet; more extreme
than the current division between the internet you know today and the
ominous "dark net", in which everything from humans to nails seems to be
for sale.

What is important is that large corporations will be able to pay - as some do now - to lock in their web presence at higher speeds, including processes for purchasing.

As usual, whilst in general poor people will suffer the first eddies of
unforeseen disadvantages, also as usual, the Developing World and the
Caribbean - in particular - will be at the bottom of the heap.

I
wonder whether we observe how the global financial and political system
is forming a divide beyond our shrinking opportunities to go to Miami?

Already, all of our telephone calls are recorded; already US visas are
being denied in record numbers; already foreign banks are limiting
credit charging astounding higher fees or just outright leaving our
region, and already, money transfers are being hampered by arbitrary
rules which seem to change daily with little regard for the hardships
caused.

The undermining of net neutrality could prove to be a slow,
imperceptible attack on booking platforms to Caribbean destinations. It
could mean that competitive destinations could pay to have ours down
graded in search profiles, leading to "throttling"; which could mean
seeing our content bunched down with North Korea or countries at the low
end of the development scale.

Although I have no ideology, I am
known as a conservative economist and I do believe in market forces.

However, I reject "trickle-down" theory as barking nonsense. The
assumption of Ajit Pai - FCC Chairman - is the Trumpian belief that if
you remove regulations internet service providers will pass benefits and
potential lower costs to the consumer. (If you believe that, I will
next try to convince you that back hair is sacred).

Here is the
point: the affects may be less harmful than expected. But here is yet
another example of something - alike to climate change - upon which our
future competitiveness and prosperity may hang, and after all, this
time, it may change for the worse with no input from us.